Akwaaba e.V. plans to conduct training at various schools in Ghana next year. This initiative aims to inform children about important health topics and provide them with practical skills. We have already made contact with four schools:

• Mickland School
• P. Brain School
• Redeem and Shine School
• Maranatha School

Each of these schools has about 300 children who can benefit from our program. The concept of the training includes a mix of:

• First aid content
• Hygiene and dental hygiene
• Information on common diseases
• Insurance options in Ghana
• Children's medical examinations by local doctors

In a conversation with Ebenezer, our local partner, we learned from the schools that there is a need to also conduct medical examinations of the children as part of the training. It was found that many children have poor eyesight and require medical attention. Therefore, we are working closely with various doctors who are familiar with local conditions and tropical medicine to determine which medical examinations would be beneficial.

The training was originally planned for December 2024. Unfortunately, we have learned that the children will be on school holidays in December, so the courses have been postponed to the beginning of next year.

We are pleased to announce that we have received a donation of 1,000 training bags from Wayers GmbH – enough for every child. Additionally, a large first aid kit will be provided for each of the four schools, designed to accommodate 300 students, ensuring that we are well-equipped in case of an emergency. Our club member Joelle is currently working on sourcing 1,000 toothbrushes and toothpaste in Ghana to promote the children's dental hygiene.

Origin of the Idea: The idea for this project arose when Jessica worked in Tanzania for several weeks last year. There, she realized that many problems are similar to those in Ghana, even though Tanzania is economically better off due to tourism. However, people often lack the financial means to afford necessary treatments. As a result, they often seek medical help only at a very late stage, which increases the treatment costs. She realized that materials alone are not enough, and that long-term changes are necessary.

Long-term Goals: Our goal is to establish the project in such a way that training sessions and medical examinations take place on a regular basis. The first training sessions will be conducted as a pilot project, with the aim of involving multiple schools in the future and possibly expanding the program to other countries. Wayers GmbH has also expressed interest in this idea.

We are considering developing an online training program to prepare individuals for teaching. This way, external volunteers could also conduct training sessions for us. This idea has already been presented to Wayers GmbH. The volunteers will be booked through Wayers and guided by us in terms of content.

Additionally, we are working on establishing contacts with the Ghanaian education system to integrate the planned training into the local teaching staff. In the long term, we aim to regularly inform children about health topics, thereby raising awareness of these important issues from an early age.

We are excited about the next steps and look forward to advancing our project in Ghana!